UTEP Men’s Basketball Battles In Hard-Fought 62-57 Loss To Missouri State

EL PASO, Texas -- In a back-and-forth game with big scoring runs from each side, the UTEP men’s basketball team was held off by second-place Missouri State, 62-57, inside the Don Haskins Center Saturday afternoon.

It was a tale of two halves, with the Miners (7-13, 3-6 CUSA) coming out strong on the way to carrying a 31-21 advantage into the break against the Bears (12-8, 6-3 CUSA). The 21 points were the fewest allowed in a stanza by the Orange and Blue this season. Missouri State blitzed UTEP with seven straight start the second half on the way to a big performance (41-26) over the final 20 minutes to escape El Paso with the triumph. 

The Orange and Blue were still in front by two (46-44) with nine minutes remaining in regulation following a triple from LA Hayes, but MSU ripped off eight straight to spring into a lead that it would never relinquish. The margin eventually stretched to as many as 10 (57-47, 3:03, 2H), but UTEP refused to go away. The Miners roared back with a 10-1 run to get within one (58-57, 42 seconds left).

After a basket by Missouri State to go up by three, Kaseem Watson’s triple to tie the tilt refused to go down. The Bears then tacked on two late free throws to cap the contest.

Elijah Jones (16 points), Jamal West Jr. (15 points) and Watson (10 points) all hit double figures in scoring the pace the Miners. Hayes and KJ Thomas each netted seven points.

“The first half was definitely our best defensive half of the year,” UTEP had coach Joe Golding said. “It was exciting to watch. We probably wore down a little bit in the second half. Give them credit, they shot 65 percent in the second half. We still held them to 62 points. You’ve got to win at home when you do that. We had a bunch of fight and had a chance to tie it there.”

The Miners connected on 44.8 percent (13-29) in the opening frame before cooling off the break to conclude at 38.0 percent (19-50). The Bears overcame a sluggish start from the floor (4-15) to finish at 44.4 percent (20-45) on the day. That was aided by only missing seven shots (13-20, 65.0 percent) in the second half.

West Jr. flirted with a double-double with a team-high eight rebounds while Jones soared for six caroms. West, Thomas and Hayes all dished out three assists. UTEP forced 15 turnovers that led to 16 points, with both Hayes and Thomas recording a trio of steals. 

MSU knocked down a triple on its first possession, but it was answered immediately by one from Jones. The Bears countered with five straight before a 9-0 run from the Orange and Blue sent them in front (12-8, 14:39, 1H) for the first time of the tilt.

West Jr. started things with a layup. He then worked out of a double team to find Watson for a wide-open triple that was pure. After a UTEP steal, a three-on-one breakout led to a slam for West Jr. Jones then blocked a shot and eventually Thomas was able to split the defense at the other end for a driving layup.

The visitors used a jump shot, and then a free throw on the subsequent possession, to stop the surge and make it a one-point affair (12-11, 11:50, 1H). Mouhamed Mbaye broke the Miners out of a two-minute scoreless skid by banking home a shot after West Jr. drove in and dropped it off the for the dime. Following a free throw from MSU, another trey by Jones stretched the lead to five (17-12, 10:07, 1H).

The Bears clawed to get within one, but UTEP punched back with 10 in a row. Watson nailed a corner 3-pointer started things off. That was followed by a patient move at the rim from West Jr. before another triple dropped through by Jones. After another stop, West Jr. went to work in the paint again and converted to extend the differential to 11 (29-18, 2:17, 1H).

MSU stopped the run after splitting a pair of free throws and then getting a bucket down low to creep within eight (29-21). Thomas then converted on a fastbreak opportunity to send the Miners into the locker room up by 10 (31-21).

The Bears ripped off seven straight over the first two minutes of the second half to inch within two before Jones reinstated order with a 3-pointer from the top of the key (34-28, 17:28, 2H). A basket by MSU let it climb within four, but Thomas blew by his defender for the score at the rim.

The visitors kept coming with back-to-back scores, including taking advantage of a defensive breakdown that led to a fastbreak score, prompting Golding to call timeout with the differential having dwindled to two (36-34, 13:56, 2H). West Jr. went 1-2 at the stripe only to have the Bears tie things up at 37 with a corner trey.

West Jr. countered with his own 3-poointer to put the Miners back up by three, but another triple went down for the Bears on the ensuing possession as the teams traded scores.

After a stretch without buckets from either side, Watson curled off a screen to fill up the jumper. MSU used a basket and then two free throws, after a UTEP giveaway, to put the Orange and Blue down by one (44-43, 9:07, 2H).

Hayes’s 3-pointer let UTEP regain the lead, but MSU sprung back with eight straight to lead by six (52-46, 4:19, 2H). West Jr. finally stopped the run after splitting a pair of free throws, but plenty of damage had been done.

The Bears eventually moved their cushion to 10 (57-47) before UTEP began its rally attempt. It started at the free throw line with four straight makes before Jones floated home a score in transition. Two more free throws cut the deficit to two (57-55). After a free throw by the visitors, Jones was fouled and hit two more shots at the charity stripe as the Miners crept within one.

The Bears scored late in the possession to go out by three. UTEP called timeout to set up a look for Watson, but it didn’t drop. MSU got the rebound and then iced the contest with a pair of free throws.

The Miners return to the Don Haskins Center to play host to LA Tech (7 p.m. MT, on Wednesday). Jon Teicher (45th year) and Steve Yellen (23rd year) will be on the call on “The Home of UTEP Basketball” 600 ESPN El Paso for each contest. It will also be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required), with Andy Morganand former Miner assistant coach Bobby Braswell describing the action.